A Trip to Town
by RKF55
Summary: A missing moments story bringing the Captain and Maria closer together. Set between Edelweiss and the ball.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sound of Music or any of its characters.

This is my first piece of fanfic, and reviews/constructive criticism are very welcome. I am keen to improve my writing style so I can try and do these wonderful characters justice.

PART ONE

It was a very _interesting_ set of circumstances, Georg Von Trapp mused rather ironically - one of those rare and serendipitous moments of one's life when the fates seemed to conspire to work together, however unknowingly. Or in this case, he considered, not the fates as much as Max Dettwelier, Baroness Ebberfeld and, he suspected, his three eldest daughters.

Baroness Ebberfeld had been the first - she and her luncheon for 'well-to-do' ladies. A garden party inspired by the great traditions of the British Isles, Elsa had read aloud from the invitation before muttering that this was sure to be the fault of Fraulein Ebberfeld and her recent engagement. Apparently the young woman had developed an insatiable enthusiasm for reassuring her Anglophile fiancé that she had not lost touch with her ancestral roots, despite having taken every one of her breaths in continental Europe, Elsa had reliably informed him. And though she thoroughly _despised_ the idea of going - she had taken great pains to reassure him - for she was certain that the party would be merely a glorified fund-raising event for Baroness Ebberfeld's 'Women Helping Heroes' Foundation, she was most _certainly_ a well-to-do lady, and it would therefore be quite _awful_ if she were not to attend. '_But can you imagine Georg_,' she had exclaimed acidly, '_she will have monograms on every napkin, plate, cup and saucer… I wonder that she will not have engraved the sandwiches and iced the scones with her W.H.H…!' _

He could not imagine, and indeed had no desire to. And at least the 'W' was very much in place in that acronym, he had considered as he had kissed her on the cheek and bid her goodbye earlier that morning.

So Baroness Ebberfeld and her monogrammed table settings were occupying Elsa for the day, and next it had been the turn of Max Dettwelier, a cashed-in favour, and exactly eight tickets to the circus. His children had initially been a little disappointed when they had discovered that neither their father nor their governess would be accompanying them, but following a conference together, it appeared that the eldest girls had managed to change their minds. Suddenly they were all enthusiastically agreeing with the impresario's allusion that with only their gullible Uncle Max for company they would be able to get away with all sorts of things which Fraulein Maria would be far too canny to let slip by…..

So somehow that left just him and the aforementioned Fraulein Maria together for the afternoon.

Ordinarily he would have found something to distract himself with - before the temptation to distract himself with _her _became too great to resist - but on that particular Saturday afternoon he really _did_ need her help with something.

Well, perhaps with _several_ things, he smirked as he made his way towards the salon, reprimanding himself even as he thought it. Perhaps he would give a schilling to Baroness Ebberfeld's W.H.H for every inappropriate thought he entertained about the governess that day, he decided, rolling his eyes at his own absurdity as he tapped his knuckles lightly against the open door.

Maria seemed not to hear him. She was sitting on the couch, her face buried in a book, wearing the same blue dress which she had worn the night of the puppet show. His favourite.

He sighed in annoyance. That was two then.

He tapped again, louder this time, and Maria looked up from the book, startled.

"Oh, Captain!" she smiled broadly at him and he felt his heart flutter peculiarly in his chest.

Three.

And four, he decided as he smiled back, suddenly filled with an absurd desire to hear her call him by his given name.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably and stepped inside the room.

"Sorry to startle you-" he began.

"Oh no, not at all," she answered, folding a bookmark into the correct page, "I was just a little absorbed…"

She closed the cover.

Jane Eyre. He smirked.

"Ah, Miss Bronte has you under her spell then?" he asked.

"Yes, it's a most fascinating book," she smiled again and motioned for him to come further into the room, "Liesl lent me her copy and told me that I must read it…"

He chuckled. Yes, he was quite sure that Liesl would think it _very_ suitable reading material. After all, a young English tutor who won the heart of the master of the house…. He was almost proud of his daughters' deviousness. He chuckled again.

"What's so funny, Captain?"

And five.

"Oh… ah, just remembering something I heard once - that Miss Bronte and the like were uniquely responsible for putting fancy, ridiculous ideas into women's heads," he lied - not well, he decided -"It's what we men sometimes said over a port at parties," he answered her frown, "Whilst the ladies sat entertaining each other with fantasies of Rochesters and Heathcliffs and cautioning each other to look out for mad wi-" he caught himself, "But I ought not to give away the ending," he went on after a pause, "If you haven't read it before?"

"Oh no, I haven't…" she smiled down at the book.

"Yes, I don't suppose such reading material would be condoned in Nonnberg Abbey, _would it_ _Fraulein_?" as usual he could not resist teasing her a little.

She coloured slightly, looking suddenly guilty, "No, I suppose not, Captain."

He tut-ted, but winked at her when she looked him in the eye again. She blushed properly.

"Don't worry Fraulein, I won't tell on you…"

She looked up again rather scornfully and he shrugged playfully.

"Scout's honour," he held up his hand.

"You were a scout, Captain?" she looked amused.

"Well, no…" he admitted, "But I _can_ give you my word as an officer of the Imperial Navy-"

She interrupted with a laugh and he frowned.

"_What_?" he asked, bemused, as she seemed to bite her tongue on something.

"No, no, nothing…" she reassured him quickly, though there was still a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

He sat down beside her.

"_Fraulein_…?" he tried to make his tone sound dangerous, and he very nearly managed, except that he was beginning to think that she now knew him far too well for that.

"Yes, Captain?" she replied would-be-innocently.

He raised his eyebrows and leaned back on the sofa, though when she still did not deign to reply he leant forwards again, and seizing the book from her hands, flicked it through to the last page.

"Reader I-" he began to read aloud.

"No, you'll spoil it Captain!" she exclaimed, outraged though definitely amused.

He lowered the book to meet her gaze and held it for a few moments in a challenge.

"Reader I-"

"I was just thinking that it sounded rather pompous," she spilled out suddenly.

He lowered the book again.

"Pompous…?"

She shrugged, smiling again.

Six.

"I have half a mind to tell you the ending just to punish you for your insolence, Fraulein," he teased.

"I suppose you are used to women swooning over lines like that…" she faltered abruptly, her eyes widening as she suddenly wondered if she had gone too far.

"_Swooning_?" he leant back on the sofa cushions, stretching an arm out across the back of the chair.

She coloured again.

"Now _that_ is a notion from here," he flicked a hand against the book as he closed it again, "_Swooning_ indeed…"

She regarded him warily and he laughed, waving his hand.

"Anyway, Fraulein," he changed the subject, "I have a favour to ask of you."

"Of course."

Eight, nine, _and_ ten.

He gritted his teeth.

"It is Louisa and Brigitta's birthdays next week, as I am sure you already know…" she nodded, "And I must confess that I am at rather a loss to know what to buy them…"

She smiled, this time affectionately rather than in the teasing way she had been.

"… the boys I can just about manage with," he went on, "Soldiers and wooden fortresses… telescopes, model boats…" he waved his hand, "All the things I wanted at that age. But the girls…"

He shuddered.

"Of course I will help Captain," she said.

"Excellent! Thank you," he clapped his hands, rising to his feet again, "Then I thought we might take a trip into town…" she suddenly looked rather surprised, "… together… now…" he went on awkwardly, cursing the fact that once again all his mental faculties seemed to have taken a leave of absence in the presence of the Fraulein, "… since everyone else seems uh… occupied for the afternoon…"

He watched as something flashed over her expression and wondered for a moment whether she was as nervous about them spending time alone together as he was.

"… unless the mysteries of Miss Eyre are too compelling…?"

He raised his eyebrows again, smiling as her expression fell back into a grin.

"Not at all. I would be very happy to accompany you… in fact I can't think of anything I would rather do than help you pick out presents for the girls!"

She set her book down with a flourish, beaming at him as he inwardly winced, numbers eleven through fifteen flashing through his mind.

She mistook his expression for trepidation about the shopping trip.

"Oh don't worry Captain," she reassured him, "We'll find them something lovely. Why just the other day, Louisa was saying…"

He stopped listening as he followed her out of the salon, his eyes dropping traitorously down her figure as she lead the way into the foyer. Perhaps he would make it an even thirty.

"… shame they are both in the same week!" mercifully he heard the end of what she was saying.

"Ah, well you have the precision of the Navy's scheduling to blame for that, Fraulein," he answered immediately, and without thinking.

She frowned.

"My uh… shore leave… fell at the same time each year," he explained gently.

He waited as her expression of confusion changed into one of understanding and then embarrassment.

He cleared his throat, chuckling slightly at the sudden awkwardness which settled over them.

"I'll bring the car around in about fifteen minutes then, Fraulein?" he asked finally.

She nodded and he smirked again as he turned towards his study door.


	2. Chapter 2

Maria could not quite manage to keep a smile from her face as she swung herself out of the Captain's parked car and onto one of the bustling sidewalks of Salzburg. Turning around as she closed the door, she saw the same smile on the face of her employer, accompanied of course by the signature gleam in his eye, which - though she was loathed to admit it - she always found highly intriguing.

"Shall we, Fraulein?"

He gestured down the road and she nodded her head, stepping around the car to walk beside him.

_Fraulein_. It was interesting how he could make that one word sound so different - sometimes a chastisement, other times teasing, often questioning, occasionally insulting… and increasingly, more and more like an endearment. She smiled again as he brushed his arm against hers, and looked up to see him scanning his gaze along the crowded pavement, as though wondering where best to take them first.

She was quite happy to let him decide. After all, they had already had a rather highly-spirited, though definitely good-humoured discussion in the car over what would be most appropriate for him to buy for his daughters - a discussion which he had won. Usually this fact would have infuriated her, though on this occasion she was just happy that he was now so involved in his daughters' lives that he cared enough to argue with her.

Despite the disagreement, he had on more than one occasion expressed his relief that she was accompanying him. She had resisted the temptation the first time to say what she was thinking, but once again he seemed to know this all too well, and it was not long before he had questioned her into a confession.

"I'm not sure I would trust you to go shopping for the girls alone, Captain," she had finally ceded.

"Afraid I might get up to no good, Fraulein?" he had come back immediately, flashing her a familiar mischievous smile which always made her wonder exactly what it was that he was thinking. She was learning to read the inflexion in his tone though, and more and more found herself blushing not because of what he had actually said, but at what he might be implying. Georg Von Trapp, she was beginning to learn, had an interesting power to twist innocent sentences on their head, imbuing them with just enough wit and charm to give them… well, positively scandalous implications.

She was sure that the fact that this no longer went completely over her head should have been enough cause for concern, never mind the fact that she actually _liked_ engaging in such teasing with her employer.

And the fact that standing in the street now, ostensibly looking over his shoulder for a shop to visit when really all she was doing was watching him, admiring the set of his jaw and the colour of his eyes… heaven knew that she should be earning herself eternal condemnation. But she would worry about that later as she always did… or more often didn't.

"Let's get the ballet shoes first," he jolted her out of her musings and she felt herself colour again as he flicked his eyes over to her. Once again his lip twitched - _his_ tell-tale sign that he was thinking something he had decided not to say - though she did not dare ask him what.

Swooning, indeed. And when she had been so scornful of such a thing earlier… for him to find her practically…

She turned away from him briskly.

"Madame Jardenne's then," she answered brusquely, "It's just up here."

She heard his low sarcastic chuckle even as she led the way through the crowds, though she pretended she had not.

They arrived at the shop without incident, though she had refused to check that he was following her the whole of the way there, and had not slowed down for even an instant despite the throngs of shoppers bustling this way and that. He was still with her though, and still wearing a knowing smile.

She had a sudden urge to slap it off his face. _Or perhaps kiss it off_... the thought jumped instantly to mind, alarming her further. What was it about this man that could make her think such… unholy thoughts?

He held the door open.

"After you, Fraulein."

Half teasing and half an endearment she decided as she nodded her head, collecting her skirts together primly in an effort to seem composed.

"Thank you, Captain."

The shop was relatively small, more of a cubby-hole really. She wondered if the Captain might mind, for it was certainly far from the grand well-to-do shops which she supposed he more often frequented. She was pleasantly surprised to see that he was instead smiling around the room, his eyes taking in the ceiling-high shelves and the railings of pretty frocks.

"Ah, Maria!"

Madame Jardenne herself appeared from her office. The two women kissed cheeks before Maria stepped aside slightly to introduce the Captain.

"Frances, this is… uh… Captain Georg Von Trapp."

She watched as something flicked across his face and belatedly wondered if she ought not to have included the 'Georg'.

"You two know each other then?" he asked after the introductions were over and the shopkeeper had stepped out of earshot to collect some shoes for their inspection.

"Yes, quite well," Maria admitted, "I studied ballet at school. Frances used to have a shop in Vienna."

He nodded in understanding, though once again a distinctly amused smile had returned to his face.

Her irritation flared, "I know it might be hard to believe that with my clumsy nature I could ever have been good at ballet, Captain, but-"

"O-ho!" he interrupted with a laugh, "I would never dare to suggest such a thing!"

"You were thinking it!"

"Ballet _and_ mind-reading, Fraulein," he shook his head, "You are certainly full of surprises today."

"Oooh, you-"

They were interrupted by Madame Jardenne clearing her throat and both turned around rather abashed. The shopkeeper wore a distinctly knowing look on her face, and despite the Captain switching immediately into his most professional of manners, it was a look which did not change until long after they had left the store.

"Books for Brigitta, Captain?" Maria asked him when they had returned to the street, a pretty and highly expensive pair of ballet shoes now in their possession.

"Umm-hmm," he agreed, before suddenly checking his watch, "But I think a spot of lunch first, perhaps?"

He smiled encouragingly at her as she felt her eyebrows lift in surprise.

"We have to eat, Fraulein…" he cajoled her slightly and she laughed.

"I suppose so, Captain," she allowed.

"By God, I think that is the first time we have been in agreement all day!" he clasped his hand over his heart.

She rolled her eyes, laughing, and allowed him to lead her down the street.

If Captain Von Trapp minded being seen eating out with his children's governess he did not show it. In fact it was definitely Maria who was more self-conscious, especially since he had chosen to take her to a restaurant with outside seating where they would be in full view of anyone walking down that particular road. But it was nothing to be concerned by, she chastised herself - after all, it _was_ lunch time and they _did_ have to eat, and she was quite sure that none of the other patrons of the café had any idea what her relationship to the Captain was. No, they fit in quite well, for he had not taken her to one of the grander establishments in the city, a fact for which she was very thankful.

Perhaps that was what was worrying her, she considered. It felt somehow very natural to be taking a meal with him, and though they were surrounded by other people - both sitting at the other tables and walking along the street - the whole occasion still felt rather intimate. She had never before found herself the sole object of anyone's attention for so long…. Never before had anyone listened to her with such interest and intensity, asking her just enough questions to keep her talking, and in turn seeming quite happy to answer anything she could think to ask him. And of course it didn't have to be like that at all- there was more than enough activity going on around them to distract his attention away - indeed, she could see a couple over his shoulder both staring in opposite directions to each other, another where the lady was engaged in conversation with a man at a neighbouring table, and next to them - and most certainly not helping her peace of mind - a couple who seemed to be on a first date, and who were flailing around for conversation. Not so with the Captain though, she had to admit,- their conversation hardly faltered for a moment, and she could not remember any afternoon when she had laughed so many times, or felt quite so engaged.

It was certainly this fact above all others which fed her guilty hopes that none of the sisters of Nonnberg would happen to walk down that particular road that afternoon.

The café itself was lovely too. She had never eaten French food before and found it to be positively delicious, and she had warmed to their waiter the moment they had arrived.

"Ah, bonjour, mademoiselle, monsieur…!" he had greeted them with a flourish, sweeping his cap from his head and bowing low. She had not been able to help giggling, wondering if he really was from France after all, or if he were merely putting on an act.

The Captain had seen to that of course. She had recognised the wicked gleam in his eye before he had opened his mouth, though she had not quite expected the stream of French which he had then directed at the young man.

The waiter had recognised her bewilderment.

"Ah, mon dieu!" he had exclaimed, "Your husband is a Frenchman!"

She had not been able to help giggling again, this time at his strange accent, even as she felt herself blush at his words. The Captain had presumably set him right, though she could not understand a word of what he had said. It seemed that he was indeed from France, she had learned, and was delighted to have found a fellow speaker of his native tongue.

"I'm beginning to wish I had never opened my mouth," the Captain had commented wryly as Francois had eventually taken his leave from them, "I think I am now in full possession of his life story…"

Francois had returned a number of times during the meal, and indeed, once he had discovered that Maria knew no French at all, had seemed to find great delight in teaching her a few words.

"The language of love!" he had exclaimed, "Is that not so, my dear… how do you say… _Fraulein_?"

He was like something out of a cartoon, she had said to the Captain, laughing at his irritation.

They finished their main courses leisurely, and had just stood up to leave when Francois appeared again, waving a slice of chocolate cake towards them. Another gabble of French ensued, resulting in the Captain sitting back down with another wry smile.

"Compliments from the chef," he explained, as Francois settled the dessert between them and made to pass them a fork each.

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly eat any more, Captain," Maria exclaimed, gesturing towards the waiter.

He replied in French again, smiling at her as he insistently placed both forks on the table.

"What did he say?" she looked towards the Captain for a translation, and was surprised to see him looking suddenly rather embarrassed.

"He… uh…" he cleared his throat as Francois bowed to them and shuffled away, "He… said that you should try some, Fraulein… uh… that he is sure it will not spoil your beautiful figure."

They both looked away from each other quickly, awkwardness growing between them for the first time since they had arrived at the restaurant.

"Well it is my favourite dessert, Captain," Maria went on bravely, watching as he looked up in relief, "I might try a little if you don't mind…"

She smiled at him weakly.

"No, please do!" he pushed the cake nearer to her even as he cut a piece off with his own fork, "I have no desire to end up some gluttonous plump old sea Captain from indulging in too many fine desserts!"

She laughed.

"Even if I might not look at all like a sea Captain, anyway…" he added. As usual she was both relieved and a little apprehensive to see the gleam back in his eye.

She made a non-committal noise of agreement.

"Tell me Fraulein," he went on, lifting the end of his fork towards her, "Just what was it that you were expecting before you met me?"

"Oh I don't think I had thought too much about it," she replied honestly before seeing him frown, "I mean…" she went on hastily, not wanting to seem rude, "The Reverend Mother had told me very little. I suppose I expected you to look like the sea Captains I had read about in storybooks…"

"Which was what exactly?"

She swallowed her bite of cake.

"Mmmm… this really is very good," she commented first, taking another forkful, "No, well, I suppose some gruff old man with a pot-belly and a white beard…"

He laughed.

"… with a cigar hanging from his mouth and a spyglass around his neck, hmm?" he suggested.

"Um hmm, and never parted from his uniform either," she finished.

He raised an eyebrow, sharing her smile.

"You were disappointed not to see me in my uniform then Fraulein?" his tone suddenly had that dangerous, exciting edge back to it. She felt her heart start to beat a little faster and once again did not trust herself to meet his gaze.

"Oh I suppose you just surprised me," she settled for a neutral response, carefully skimming her fork along the edge of the cake, "I guess I had never given much thought to what a Captain might look like without his uniform on."

He coughed suddenly and she looked up in surprise.

"Are you alright, Captain?"

"Yes, yes, fine," he answered irritably, taking a sip of water. The tell-tale gleam was suddenly back in his eye with a vengeance.

"What?" she asked, wondering what on earth she might possibly have said now.

"I think that bit's yours," he pushed the rest of the cake across to her side of the plate and sat backwards.

She regarded him curiously for a moment before warily lifting her fork.

"I confess you surprised me too," he went on a second later, "You did not look the slightest bit as I had expected either."

"Yes," she groaned slightly, "So you informed me... What did you want me to look like, then?"

He chuckled and his lip twitched again.

"Well, not so much _want_, Fraulein," he corrected her, "But I was expecting one of two things- either some old matronly woman, bulging out of a tweed suit and with an expression as though someone had shoved a fire-iron into her backside-"

"Captain!"

"Sorry," he chuckled again, "Max once described one of the poor women in such a way, and I must admit the description struck me as rather apt… or being as how you were from the convent," he continued after a pause, "Well, a fully habit-ted nun I suppose…!" He shrugged again.

"Hmmm, yes I did wonder about wearing that," she lifted the last forkful of cake to her mouth, "But they are terribly uncomfortable. I always avoided wearing it as much as possible."

He nodded, and then in a highly suggestive tone went on: "Yes, I suppose I had never given much thought to what a nun might look like _underneath_ her habit."

It was her turn to choke on her mouthful this time and she met his gaze with bright red cheeks.

Oooh he was wicked, she decided. He had played that just marvellously, though she had _certainly_ not meant what he was implying - as he well knew….!

He gave her a low laugh again and she felt her stomach tighten.

"Francois?" he suddenly flipped his attention away from her, granting her the small mercy of a moment away from those midnight blue eyes to compose herself, "L'addition, s'il vous plait!"


	3. Chapter 3

It took a remarkably short amount of time to finish their shopping. Unlike his older daughters, the Captain did not have much patience with either browsing or with other shoppers, Maria learnt as they reached the end of a packed Getreidegasse. Indeed, her employer seemed to have adopted a very militaristic mentality for the afternoon, apparently viewing the many other patrons of Salzburg as targets to be either eliminated or avoided. Despite the chaos surrounding him - or perhaps because of it - he seemed determined to _'accomplish their objective'_, as he had put it, as quickly as possible. She nearly lost him on more than one occasion as he wove his way in and out of crowds of shoppers, though fortunately he was a good head taller than many of them.

Maria was pleasantly surprised to find that the shop he led them to was just as small and quaint as the ballet shop. It was a rather claustrophobic little place with all four walls packed with books and stacks of them piled up on the floor, but quite charming in its own unique way. The shopkeeper was similarly eccentric - dressed in an eclectic selection of oddly patterned clothes, rather portly around the middle, and with a monocle pressed firmly against one eye, he complemented the appearance of his shop rather well, Maria decided.

They did not spend terribly long inside. The Captain already had a good idea of what he wanted, and the shopkeeper had a seemingly encyclopaedic knowledge of his domain, somehow being able to pick the requested titles out of the clutter within minutes. They left with a lovely stack of books in their possession, an illustrated copy of Rudyard Kipling's 'The Jungle Book' being Maria's favourite.

"I'm sure Brigitta will love those, Captain," she said happily as they stepped back into the blinding brilliance of the outside world, a contrast from the rather dark and musty atmosphere inside the shop.

"O-ho! I'd imagine she will have them read within a week," he replied smiling, "She's rather like I was at that age."

He began to lead the way back to the car.

"You used to read a lot, Captain?"

"I still do, Fraulein," he corrected her as they passed in front of Maria's favourite fountain, "When I have the time…. In fact speaking of that…" he slowed to a stop, rummaging around in the book bag, "…. Here…" he drew one out and held it towards her, "Perhaps it will not engage you _quite_ as much our dear Jane Eyre, but I thought you might like it anyway…"

She took the book in surprise, turning it over to read the title - Moby Dick - and a beautifully illustrated copy of it at that.

"It's one of my favourites, Fraulein," he went on as she looked up, "The wandering sailor Ishmael…" he trailed off into a shrug.

"I…" she was suddenly lost for words, "That's very generous of you Captain I… thank you."

He waved his hand carelessly, turning around as though embarrassed as she struggled to put into words how very touched she was by the gesture. She smiled down at the book again, running her hand over the cover.

"I'll treasure it," she replied honestly, looking up again. Their eyes met for a moment.

"Oh, it's nothing Fraulein…" he went on a second later, breaking her gaze a little awkwardly, "…. Ah, look!"

He stooped down and picked up a coin from the ground, apparently thankful for the distraction.

She regarded him in surprise as he rubbed it against his trouser leg, polishing it slightly before holding it out towards the fountain.

"Make a wish, Fraulein…!"

She hardly had time to organise her thoughts into anything resembling a coherent wish before he had flicked the coin upwards. In fact, as she watched it arc its way smoothly through the air, all she could think about was the man who had thrown it and the lovely afternoon they had shared together. The coin splashed into the water before she had a chance to consider anything else that she might want.

"Home then, Fraulein?"

She smiled across at him as he gestured towards the other side of the square to where the car was parked.

"Absolutely, Captain."

He returned the smile, and clutching her new book protectively against her chest, she began to lead the way. _Home. _It was the first time she had ever really applied the word to the Von Trapp villa, she realised, and she could not help but think that it had a rather nice sound to it.

…

They arrived back at the villa to see that fate had once again intervened. Scarcely had Georg pulled the car to a halt outside the front door before Frau Schmidt and Franz appeared, both dressed for travelling, and the housekeeper brandishing a key.

"Oh, Captain," she greeted them looking suddenly concerned, "We thought that you were out for afternoon!"

"Yes, well we managed to do our shopping very efficiently," he explained, lifting the bag of books and the box containing the ballet shoes from the back of the car.

'_And very enjoyably,' _he added to himself, smiling as he thought back over the afternoon.

"I was just about to lock up," the housekeeper went on, "… it's my niece's christening this afternoon and Franz offered to drive me," she answered his frown, "You remember I told you last week, Captain…?"

"Ah, of course," he pretended to recall such a request though he was not at all sure that he had ever really listened to what she was asking.

"… and I have just given the other Frauleins permission to accompany cook into town," she continued, "So I'm afraid that you are quite without any staff, Captain!"

She looked worried.

"Oh never mind that," he waved his hand, secretly bemused that once again he would have only Maria for company, "I'm sure we will manage just fine for a couple of hours…"

Frau Schmidt smiled at him, thinking, he was sure, how different his reaction would have been a few months ago when he likely would have flown into a rage at the poor organisation of his household.

Times had changed however and instead he merely patted his housekeeper warmly on the arm and bequeathed her to send his best wishes to her sister.

It was not without a slight pang of regret that he watched them leave however. It had been difficult enough to manage his thoughts during the drive home with Maria - though she had chattered away to him incessantly - and about things which he might well have found very interesting - he had found himself becoming thoroughly distracted with all manner of disgraceful thoughts. He was wonderfully glad, he had considered ironically, that the Fraulein did indeed possess no telepathic powers, for suffice it to say there were many times in the course of the journey when he had desired nothing more than to pull the car over to the side of the road, take her in his arms and kiss her until she knew _precisely_ what a sea Captain looked like out of uniform and he _exactly_ what a nun might hide underneath her habit.

It was absolutely appalling. Shameful. Totally and completely disgraceful, and if he were any decent sort of man then he would immediately have begged his leave from her upon entering the house and taken his dangerous thoughts away with him. Indeed, that was exactly what he _had_ intended to do, even more so when he discovered that there was in fact no one else in the villa at all - that they had every bit of the house, every room, every corridor… and every _opportunity_, all to themselves - but somehow he instead found himself turning around to face her as she crossed the foyer, and asking:

"Would you like a drink, Fraulein?"

She agreed and they walked to the kitchen together in a rather tense silence, she apparently having mistaken his disposition for disinterest in her chosen topics of conversation.

They entered the kitchen to find it unsurprisingly deserted.

"What would you like, Fraulein?" he asked her, motioning for her to sit on one of the counter-top stools, "Iced tea, coffee…" he busied himself opening the doors of random cupboards, not really looking at their contents but not completely trusting himself to look at her instead, "… lemonade… tea… some abominable herbal concoction of Frau Schmidt's…" he turned around as she laughed, brandishing a potent-smelling sachet of mixed leaves and smiling mischievously back at her, "… whisky, vodka… gin…?" he winked.

"Just a tea would be nice, Captain," she looked rather red-faced again, "But I can-"

She began to swing her legs off the stool but he waved his hand at her indignantly.

"No, no… with all of my household staff _inexcusably_ absent," she smiled, recognising the humour in his tone, "I think the responsibility falls to me to act as host."

She shrugged, for once finding no retort and he turned his attention away again.

"Now… cups…"

She laughed as he opened several cupboard doors, and he frowned, realising that for all his pomposity, he actually had no idea where anything was kept.

"Above the counter, Captain," she helpfully provided, "Third from the left."

He frowned again.

"Thank you, Fraulein," he answered briskly, retrieving two cups from the indicated cupboard and setting some water to boil, "Believe it or not I have spent quite a considerable amount of time in the galley myself."

He pivoted around to face her and once again caught her looking at him in a way he was quite certain the sisters of Nonnberg would not approve of.

Heavens above, had she been put on this earth just to torture him, he wondered. Postulants and governesses just should _not_ be like her, he decided - there should be a law against it. Or perhaps, he considered a second later, women like her just should not become postulants.

Was she even aware of how she looked at him, he asked himself further. Did she have any idea of the heights of insanity which she could drive him to?

Most likely not, he decided, and certainly she would not be happy if she were to find out. No, she was a living-breathing temptation and apparently completely oblivious – which of course only made him desire her all the more. And certainly it was not _just_ because he found her physically attractive, he mused, pursing his lips and spinning around again - the easy manner which they had fallen into that afternoon had made for some of the most enjoyable hours that he could remember since… well, since similar occasions with Agathe, he supposed.

The thought was rather worrying.

And whatever _she_ might be thinking about _him_, he considered sarcastically as he drained the tea leaves, he was absolutely certain that _he_ was doing a far better job of fundraising than Baroness Ebberfeld would manage at her garden soiree.

"What would you like with that, Fraulein?" he forced his mind back to the tea, "Lemon? Milk? Sugar?"

_A passionate interlude on the kitchen counter-top?_

"Milk please. And three sugars."

"Three?" he echoed, turning back to face her in surprise.

"Umm-hmm. I'm afraid I have a sweet tooth."

He smiled, obligingly spooning three heaps of sugar into the cup.

"You like it plain, Captain?" she asked as he brought his own black tea over and sat beside her. A decent distance away though, he was careful to ensure.

He nodded, "Yes, I don't have that particular vice of yours," he answered taking a sip. He hoped that the boiling water might burn some sense back into him.

"So where are you up to in Jane Eyre then, Fraulein?"

"Mr Rochester is to marry Blanche Ingram," she answered immediately, "Only I hope that he does not, for I don't believe that he loves her."

It was such a simple innocent statement, and yet one which contained rather a lot of truth. A little too much, Georg decided as he took another sip, his mind wandering to Elsa.

"Then why would he marry her, Fraulein?" the words were out of his mouth before he had planned to say them at all.

She considered carefully, "Well, Jane says she is very beautiful…" she answered slowly, "And perhaps he thinks that Adele needs her," he nodded, acutely aware of the lack-lustre tone of her reply, "She is a lady after all, whereas Jane is not-"

"She is still a lady, Fraulein," he interrupted, wondering whether he was talking about the book at all.

"But not one of high society, Captain," she retorted.

"And is that important?"

"You tell me," she answered quickly, "I'm sure you're far more likely to know that than I am."

He winced slightly, draining the rest of the tea from the cup, "It should not be, Fraulein," he tried to answer as honestly as he could, "But sometimes I'm afraid it is."

"I think he will realise that he loves her, though," she replied.

"_Who_?"

"Mr Rochester and Jane Eyre," she frowned up at him and he shook his head quickly, forcing his mind away from the disturbing parallels in his own life.

"Ah well, maybe," he went on hastily, trying to cover the slip-up, "You will have to read on to find out I suppose."

The conversation lapsed into silence until suddenly the banging of a door from somewhere else in the villa startled them.

Georg frowned in alarm, about to jump to his feet until he heard the sudden rabble of his sons and daughters.

"It appears that the children are back from the circus," he smiled again, suddenly relishing the precious last minutes of time he would have alone with her.

"Oh I hope they have had a good time," she answered, standing.

"You are not _too_ disappointed not to have gone along?"

"Oh not at all, Captain," she replied, smiling again. He expected for a moment that she might play him some line, as Elsa surely would have done, about how much she had enjoyed his company that afternoon, but once again Fraulein Maria proved how refreshingly different and wonderfully unique she was.

"I cannot abide clowns."

THE END

_That's the end for this short story – just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who read this, and especially for the reviews - they mean a lot to me, and it was lovely to receive such a warm reception for my first story. _


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